1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for evaluating the benefit of a remediation system. More specifically, embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to methods and systems for evaluating the benefit of a remediation system through graphical representation of a condition of a remediation system. More specifically still, embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to methods and systems for evaluating the benefit of a remediation system by determining whether a remediation system is operating effectively, ineffectively, in an overwhelmed state, or in a beneficial state.
2. Background Art
Evaluating the relative stability of a groundwater contaminant plume is generating increasing attention as many state regulatory agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), and private stakeholders are realizing the applicability of plume stability as part of the environmental evaluation and/or remedial planning process of a site. Specifically, a plume stability evaluation may allow the stakeholder to assess whether a contaminant plume is stable, decreasing or increasing in size. Assessing the stability of a plume may further allow the stakeholder to evaluate whether additional remedial action is necessary or whether risk-based closure of a site may be applicable or whether MNA is occurring at a site. There are many other ancillary applications of plume stability evaluations as related to groundwater contamination.
There are a number of environmental practitioners that are and have evaluated the efficiency of groundwater remediation systems. These evaluations are typically related to the cost to maintain a system, amount of mass removed as a function of cost, amount of mass removed as a function of clean-up goals, etc. In many instances, models are used to assess the efficiency of groundwater remediation systems. Model output is heavily dependent on the proper use and selection of a potentially wide range of variable input data. Additionally, models may be manipulated and interpreted differently by various modelers. Thus, replication of modeled data becomes overly complicated as the amount of variability of input data increases.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing need for methods and systems that allow a stakeholder to evaluate the benefit of a groundwater remediation system.